chapter 1

Scarlett Norman was in a hotel room near the hospital where she worked, having left the banquet venue earlier that evening.

Tonight was supposed to be her wedding night.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she straightened her clothes and let out a bitter chuckle, recalling the evening’s events. No one cared where she was, anyway.

Suddenly, the door burst open from the outside, slamming against the wall. Before Scarlett could process what was happening, the lights went out.

Frozen in fear, she trembled.

“Who’s there?”

Before she could finish her sentence, she was slammed against the wall and then onto the table, scattering items across the floor. She felt a cold gun pressed to her head, and a low voice threatened, "Don't speak. If I hear a word, I’ll shoot."

In the dim light, she could only make out a pair fierce eyes. She smelled blood and realized he must be injured. Perhaps it was her instincts or her professionalism as a doctor that helped her stay calm in such a dangerous situation.

She bent her knee subtly to strike, but he caught on and pinned her down harder.

“I saw him come this way!” shouted someone outside.

Footsteps approached the door, panicked, the man leaned down and kissed her, catching her off guard. Scarlett resisted, pushing against him, but he didn’t threaten her again.

She hesitated.

Then the doorknob turned.

Thinking quickly, Scarlett tilted her head and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Up close, she saw the fear behind his intense eyes and realized the men outside were hunting him down.

Her voice shook, but she spoke softly, “I can help you. I’ll get you out of here.”

His response wasn’t what she expected. His body stiffened, and his breath grew heavier. Then, in a rough whisper against her ear, he said, “Then I’ll make it up to you.”

No. That wasn’t what she meant. It was just an act.

The door creaked open.

Scarlett let out a soft, breathy moan she’d once heard in a drama, catching both the man and the intruders off guard.

“What the hell? Just a couple hooking up,” someone muttered outside.

Light filtered in through the cracked door, landing on Scarlett’s face.

The man’s body pressed tightly to hers, shielding her. From outside, they looked like any couple lost in passion.

“That’s not him. He’s injured. He wouldn’t be doing this,” someone whispered.

“We’re in trouble if we don’t find him,” another hissed.

Wayne.

Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat. That was her husband’s name. Could it be…? No. That didn’t make sense. Why would her husband be hiding, injured, and hunted?

The footsteps slowly faded.

The man didn’t move. His gaze stayed locked on hers, unreadable.

Scarlett placed a hand on his chest to gently push him away, her thoughts racing. Her marriage—if it could even be called that—flashed in her mind.

Her father, hungry for wealth and status, had forced her into marrying Wayne Gray, heir to the powerful Gray family. Her grandfather had once been the loyal butler of the Gray patriarch and died saving the old man’s life, leaving the Norman family in lifelong debt.

Now, with the family business collapsing and creditors closing in, her father saw marriage as the only way out.

Wayne had never wanted the union. He demanded she keep it hidden and even refused to let her change her surname.

Then he didn’t even show up at the banquet. She’d been left humiliated.

Now, here she was—entangled with a stranger, her body pinned beneath him.

For once, Scarlett stopped caring. Maybe it was the intimacy. Maybe it was the humiliation she’d endured.

She didn’t fight him.

Though he took the lead, she could see he was struggling. His breathing was labored, not just from lust, but pain. His body trembled slightly, and he flinched every few movements. Her eyes flicked to the blood soaking through his shirt.

“You’re injured,” she whispered.

He didn’t answer. He just looked at her—wild, desperate.

When he finally pulled away, he was paler than before. His breaths came in ragged gasps, and blood was soaking into the sheets.

“You shouldn’t have—” she started, but he silenced her with a faint, crooked smile. “Didn’t have another option.”

Before leaving, he kissed her cheek and rasped, “I’ll find you.” Then he was gone.

Scarlett lay still, her body aching. Her phone buzzed.

She reached for it.

“Dr. Norman, there’s been a major accident—critical victim in the ER. We need you now,” came the urgent voice.

Scarlett steadied herself. “I’ll be there.”

After the call, she stared at her reflection. Disheveled clothes, flushed skin, none of it was a dream.

On her wedding night, she’d been with someone she didn’t even know.

But there was no time to think. She dressed and rushed to the hospital.

After a grueling night, she returned to the duty room. The mess still there—a reminder of what happened.

She remembered her breakdown before surgery. She’d flung the files off the desk, kicked the chair in frustration.

“Dr. Norman, thanks for covering my shift,” said Belinda Carl, walking in with a smile.

Scarlett gave a polite nod. “No problem.”

“I’m done now, so go get some rest,” Belinda added, though her eyes lingered on the disarray and Scarlett’s stiff posture. “Everything alright?”

Scarlett turned her head away. “I’ll head out now.”

Belinda watched her leave, puzzled, but said nothing as she began tidying up.

Just then, the director arrived—trailing behind him was a sharp-looking man.

“Dr. Carl was the attending last night,” the director introduced her.

The man stepped forward and glanced at her name badge. “You. Come with me.”

Belinda blinked in confusion. “Where are we going?”

“Now,” he said briskly.

“President Gray is waiting,” the director added, pushing her along before she could protest.